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WARNING!!! Please read before using shavings

janban

janban

Warren Scout
If any one uses shavings for for their bunnies or cavies please, please make sure they do not contain pine in any form, a friend of mine has just lost some of her bunnies within a week of using shavings, unbeknown to her containing pine, she had a cold so couldn't smell it, she was using the large bales, changed the bedding on the Monday and noticed on Wednesday they were a little quiet, but put that down to the heavy rain keeping them in, by Friday she noticed three of her bunnies had lost weight literally overnight and one was dying in her arms..she took him to the vet, but he died and so they did a PM on him to check for VHD etc, all came back clear, but the vet said it looked like toxic poisoning from pine, she went home and changed her bedding in her hutches straight away and then could smell the pine :(( she now had them on straw and she's nursing the sick ones and hopes they make it...but she has warned everyone she knows who has bunnies to be careful, so I thought I should pass this information on :(( . The one she lost was the dad to my two youngest bunnies, Reuben and Boo, so very sad....Binky free Carrot x


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Definitely, it's better to be safe than sorry. There's plenty of other bedding types that can be used instead of shavings.
 
It might be good to change your title so that the warning refers to woodshavings so it will alert people who use them or are thinking of doing so.
 
Could you tell us which brand she used? I'm just thinking mine are on sawdust from pets at home and it has nothing about pine ob the information? Awful loss for her though :-(

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I will change the title good idea....I will try and find the name of the ones she used, apparently some suppliers don't realise they are toxic for bunnies, but I would ask Pets at Home as they are usually pretty good at checking things out for you :)


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I wonder if a mod could move your thread so that it is in health or rabbit chat rather than here, which is mainly photographs and rabbit stories - just trying to think of where it will be seen by people. If you agree, you could send a pm to a moderator to see what they think.
 
yaretzi said:
Definitely, it's better to be safe than sorry. There's plenty of other bedding types that can be used instead of shavings.
Click to expand...

I agree, I have always used paper litter pellets such as Back to Nature as they are 100% natural and non toxic :D
 
Any idea what make she used? I buy big bales from Mole Valley and when I bought a new bale this week they didn't have my usual make in stock but promised me these were the same. Not started using it yet and can't check the contents as it's at my parents farm as don't have the room to store a whole bale.
 
Babsie said:
I wonder if a mod could move your thread so that it is in health or rabbit chat rather than here, which is mainly photographs and rabbit stories - just trying to think of where it will be seen by people. If you agree, you could send a pm to a moderator to see what they think.
Click to expand...

Hi
I copied it to Health too as I wasn't sure where was the best place to put it to get the most views, as I think it was important to get the information out there and I'm still fairly new at this.:)
 
Damn I'm really worried now. Mine don't have bedding as such with being indoors but use wood shavings for their toilet (freshly changed everyday) it's a large bag of plain shavings which they're half way through so I'm guessing if it was infected with pine I'd have known by now surely? ! Sorry I'm such a worrier I'll check with pets at home as soon as I can x

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Many people on here dont use shavings at all due to the possible link between them and respiratory issues in small animals.

Fitch, megasorb, finacard, paper based cat litter and good old newspaper with hay on top, are some of the many excellent alternatives.
 
KatP said:
Any idea what make she used? I buy big bales from Mole Valley and when I bought a new bale this week they didn't have my usual make in stock but promised me these were the same. Not started using it yet and can't check the contents as it's at my parents farm as don't have the room to store a whole bale.
Click to expand...

Hi
Apparently it was unbranded, the large type that you buy for horses (as she has a number of rabbits and it's cheaper to buy in larger bales) I'm sure the ones packaged specifically for rabbits must be ok, but apparently when her cold cleared up she could smell the pine, which she couldn't originally because of being 'blocked up'. If you are not sure contact the company and ask them do they use pine in their shavings....someone else said cedar is bad too :(
 
tulsi said:
Many people on here dont use shavings at all due to the possible link between them and respiratory issues in small animals.

Fitch, megasorb, finacard, paper based cat litter and good old newspaper with hay on top, are some of the many excellent alternatives.
Click to expand...

I agree, I use Back to Nature as my eldest Smudge has always suffered with runny eyes and when I first had him from the breeder he was on shavings, but I swapped to pellets within the first month :)
 
janban said:
Hi
Apparently it was unbranded, the large type that you buy for horses (as she has a number of rabbits and it's cheaper to buy in larger bales) I'm sure the ones packaged specifically for rabbits must be ok, but apparently when her cold cleared up she could smell the pine, which she couldn't originally because of being 'blocked up'. If you are not sure contact the company and ask them do they use pine in their shavings....someone else said cedar is bad too :(
Click to expand...

Eek will have to smell mine carefully as I buy big bales like I used to for my horses as works out so much cheaper! Have no idea what brand I bought just made sure it was dust extracted type!
 
I thought all shavings were pine based? :? they all have that "smell" I think :( I love fitch for buns and aubiose for g pigs :)
 
My friend has used shavings for years and this is the first bad batch she's had, I didn't want to alarm anybody, but seeing as it happened so quickly I just people should be aware....I'm paranoid myself as to what I give my bunnies, eating or bedding so I know I'd rather be warned :)


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Yes, as far as I know, all regular shavings sold here are pine.

You can buy aspen shavings in the reptile section, but they are much more expensive.
 
OMG I use shavings - around the litter trays in case they pee over the sides! but we've used it for ages now :( I'm scared, we only use a few, they just kick the megazorb out if we use that, and tia is a little madam for weeing just outside the trays!

Altho I do use dust extracted, and they're not chips they're shavings... and they have a rabbit on the front
 
Much as I don't use shavings myself (it's one of those controversial topics - I've seen them get quite heated on pet forums over the years), I'm not sure that the vet has any proof that the shavings were the culprit here.
 
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